Budget Bordeaux

Every red drinker has a favorite cheap Bordeaux. How satisfied he is with it is inversely proportional to how much decent Bordeaux he's tasted. My means are modest, but I'm skilled enough at showing up for tastings to know that my favorite cheap Bordeaux, and yours, suck.

Let that be the context for this report on the better-than-average specimen offered by 57th St.'s Crush. We had a good time at this store. One of its owners is Drew Nieporent, founder of Montrachet and Nobu. A lot of thought seems to have gone into the selection - and the presentation. For example, the signage promoting the $9.99 La Grange de Grenet (not to be confused with Chateau La Grange, a much more common ten-dollar Bordeaux) was precisely targeted at hopefully skeptical cheap Bordeaux shoppers. Closed the deal for me.

And I'm glad it did. La Grange de Grenet 2003 serves up a wafer-thin slice of Bordeaux satisfaction. Rich tannins, leather and tobacco, sophisticated, shadowy black fruit...they're in there, and in harmony. You could pay much more and do much worse. Especially in restaurants. This stuff is so cheap, you can bring it to a mid-priced bistro, pay the corkage fee and still come out ahead. Especially if the bistro serves a decent burger. Way ahead.